Mountain Lion Spotted Again In Englewood

DOW Officers Lose Track Of It Again

At about 4:30 a.m. the Division of Wildlife had the mountain lion corned at 601 West Bates Avenue, near South Santa Fe Drive and West Dartmouth Avenue in Englewood, after a person reported spotting the mountain lion near the light rail station.

Englewood and DOW officers with rifles moved into the area but the cat disappeared.

"They had eyes on the lion and it snuggled down in the grass. Then it somehow crawled through the grass and got through the fence," said DOW spokesman Scott Allen.

It's not known if this mountain lion is believed to be the same cougar roaming in several south metro neighborhoods.

At least one of them is a young juvenile, because it is smaller, said DOW spokeswoman Kathi Green. Wildlife officers believe the juvenile cat probably followed the Highline Canal into the urban area.

A couple of times a year, a mountain lion prowling the southwest metro area will roam into a neighborhood, she said.

"They work their way into town on the river, on the creeks, on the canal," Green said. "Sometimes they leave on their own. Sometimes we end up intervening."

But it's not that uncommon, especially if its a newly independent cat, she said, adding that young lions are often searching for their first territory after separating from their mother.

The light rail station where it was spotted Friday morning is near the South Platte River.

Residents are urged to quickly call 911 if they spot a cougar. Police will summon wildlife officials who will attempt to tranquilize the cat if it stays put long enough.

Green said its too dangerous for DOW to use hounds to track mountain lions in a crowded urban area.

The city is a difficult place to run dogs, Green said. You don't want to put a cat in a position of running from dogs in an area where they have to deal with fences, people, people's pets and traffic. That's really a bad idea."

If you encounter a mountain lion, wildlife officials recommend: calmly and slowly backing away; do not run; raise your arms to appear larger; if the lion is aggressive, throw rocks or sticks; do not crouch or turn your back; if the lion attacks, fight back.

They do not tend to attack people but are most active at sunrise and sunset, a DOW official said.